CVE-2024-21450 - Microsoft WDAC OLE DB Provider for SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability: A Dangerous Threat to your Applications

The CVE-2024-21450 vulnerability has been identified as a critical and dangerous threat within Microsoft's Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) OLE DB provider for SQL Server. This vulnerability allows an attacker to remotely execute code on a system that is running an affected version of this software, thereby leading to the possibility of gaining unauthorized access and control of the vulnerable system.

In this post, we will delve into the details of this vulnerability, give a brief overview of the Microsoft WDAC OLE DB provider for SQL Server, explain the process by which an attacker could exploit this issue, and provide links to official references for further reading.

Microsoft WDAC OLE DB Provider for SQL Server

Microsoft WDAC OLE DB provider for SQL Server is a component within the larger Windows Defender Application Control ecosystem. It is used to communicate with SQL Server databases and perform operations on these databases. This provider is a crucial part of many applications that interact with SQL Server databases and is installed by default on most Windows systems.

Exploit Details

CVE-2024-21450 is a Remote Code Execution vulnerability in the Microsoft WDAC OLE DB provider for SQL Server. This vulnerability occurs due to improper validation of user-supplied data within the provider. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted SQL query to a vulnerable system, which will cause it to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the account running the SQL Server.

Code Snippet

To help illustrate this vulnerability, here is a simplified example of exploiting the issue using a SQL query:

-- CVE-2024-21450 Example Exploit
DECLARE @malicious_query NVARCHAR(MAX);

SET @malicious_query = N'EXEC(''x...malicious_shellcode...'')';

EXEC sp_executesql @malicious_query;

In this code snippet, the attacker is crafting a SQL query that contains malicious shellcode that would be executed upon being passed to the vulnerable system.

Links to Original References

For a more comprehensive understanding and technical details on this vulnerability, please refer to the following references:

1. Microsoft Security Advisory: CVE-2024-21450
2. NVD - National Vulnerability Database: CVE-2024-21450 Detail

Mitigating the Vulnerability

To mitigate this vulnerability, it is highly recommended to apply the appropriate security updates provided by Microsoft to your affected systems as soon as possible. Additionally, ensure that your network infrastructure is properly secured, and also consider implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to help protect your applications from attacks.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-21450 is a critical vulnerability in the Microsoft WDAC OLE DB provider for SQL Server that allows an attacker to remotely execute code and potentially gain unauthorized access to your systems. Make sure to stay vigilant and keep your systems up to date with the latest security patches to safeguard your applications and infrastructure from this serious threat.

Timeline

Published on: 03/12/2024 17:15:54 UTC
Last modified on: 03/12/2024 17:46:17 UTC